


Holding Stars in your Hands

by PSIDontKnow



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura being a super cool not human mom, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Children, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, More characters to be added as they appear - Freeform, The Experiment AU no one wanted, To all these kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-19 05:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7346314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PSIDontKnow/pseuds/PSIDontKnow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>{My mother told me that the world has got its plans<br/>I wanna hold em til they burn right through my hands}<br/>--------------<br/>They'd been made, made in a lab, made to be something that none of them quite understood yet, so when they're offered a way out, they take it</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Posting from Mobile, please forgive my formatting errors

"Shiro, how much farther?" It's hard to make out Hunk's words, considering the six year old had lost two of his front teeth recently and they were all running for their lives. Shiro doesn't stop to answer him, just tugging on his wrist a little more more insistantly. His other hand was wrapped around Lance's wrist, and he wants to call back to ask if Keith, carrying Pidge, was still with them. He can't though, not without slowing down, and the three year old Pidge's near constant stream of babbling was a good indicator that he still was.  
He puts on a little more speed, trusting Keith to keep up with them. They almost there, almost to safety, if he can just... There's a sound of a laser blast behind them, and Shiro panics, practically tossing the two younger children towards safety, towards a barrier that he knows in his bones will let them in, and spins on his heels to collect Keith and Pidge, picking them both up before leaping in himself.  
He can hear the guard drones thunking against the barrier and takes a deep breath of relief. It doesn't last long before everyone burst into tears, Lance and Hunk crying from adrenaline and skinned knees from where Shiro had thrown them, Pidge crying from both the chase and being squished between Keith and Shiro, and Keith doing his best to not cry from the pain in his smoldering shoulder, though his eyes were wet and bottom lip was trembling.  
"Shiro? Are these the friends you told us of?" The airy accented voice was so different to anything else they'd ever heard that it didn't make them tense or hide for cover behind their eldest, their leader. Instead, most of the kids' crying began to slow, looking at this new person, her silver hair falling around her in a cloud.  
"Goodness, you all are just children." There's a concerned set to her face, even as she kneels to the ground, not caring about the dirt collecting on her skirt. "Greetings children, my name is Allura, and you'll be safe here." It doesn't take long before Hunk and Lance fling themselves at her, crying even harder than before, Pidge wiggling away from Keith and Shiro and running over to join the hug. Shiro stays where he is, Keith's face buried in his shoulder as he finally sobs about the pain in his shoulder, and Shiro can't help but cry as well.  
......  
Let's take a step back.  
......  
They're children, for sure, they've been called that by enough of the scientists that have worked on them to know that's what they are. They're also experiments and horrible abominations, but children is a lot easier for the younger ones to say. Shiro's the eldest, ten and already sporting a mechanical arm and a scarred face, both gained in an endurance test that he'd gone through to keep them away from the younger ones. Keith is eight, scarred and angry, untrustful after one person had seemed nice, only to put him through hell. Lance and Hunk are six, being put through more training than testing, and Lance had even been permitted a joke book. Pidge is three, and Shiro's wrapped protectively around them to keep the tazers away when he hears the voice.  
'Help!' The thought is desperate as he smells burning hair and can feel nothing but Pidge's tiny hands in his shirt and the off beat thud-dud-dudding of his heart.  
'Who is this? What's going on?' It's a woman's voice, light, caring and alarmed, but Shiro doesn't care right now, he just squeezes his eyes shut, squeezes Pidge closer and pleads.  
'It hurts! Im in the facility and it hurts me but I can't let them hurt the others.' He doesn't hear the voice's reply, because he finally gives out under the strain, falling unconcious.

When he wakes later, twitchy, tears leaking from his eyes unbidden as he stares up at the bare ceiling of his room, he hears the voice sigh.  
'Good, you're awake.'  
'Who are you? Why can I hear you in my head?' He's scared that she's like Sendak, that she can get in his head and twist his thoughts all up, but she only radiates warmth and comfort, like when they let all five of them sleep in one room together, and he can't help but trust her.  
'I am Allura and I would like to help you little one. What is your name? You said there were others?' He spends a whole night telling Allura about him and the others, part of something called the Paladin Project, tells her about his name and his family, about the tests. Eventually, she asks if he wants to leave, if he wants to get away from all of this. It's all he's ever known, pain and tests, but he's sure there's something else out there, so he doesn't even hesitate in answering.  
'Not without the others.'  
.............  
She'd helped him escape, a voice in his head directing him as he'd grabbed the others and ran. All they knew was that Shiro was taking them some place and that's okay, Shiro looks out for them, they'll be fine. He's not sure how her barrier was there, why it was invisible until they'd passed through it, but he likes her, her calm voice and the way she holds all three of the younger ones and he comes closer to her, tears pouring down his face as Keith begins to sob in earnest, because it's all kinda dawning on them that they're safe.  
"Shiro, your friend..." Allura's chin is on top of Hunk's head, her curiously blue - pink - shimmer, shimmer, shine - eyes looking up at him with concern.  
"They hit him on the way, I think everyone else is okay though." He wants to wipe off his own face, but both his hands are occupied, one holding up Keith (and he's never been more thankful for the enhanced strength they'd given him) and the other rubbing the smaller boy's back.  
"'m fine." Keith sniffles, rubbing his face on Shiro's shirt, and he just gives Allura a 'what can you do' look.  
"Well, be that as it may," She begins, standing up and sweeping all three children up in her arms. "I would like to check you all over and then maybe we'll have some food? I'm sure you all are hungry."  
"Foooood!"  
"Food Food! Food!"  
.......  
True to her word, Allura and her uncle, a strangely loud man named Corran that spent most of the time making faces with Keith, checked them all over. There's concerned looks over old scars and bruises, but they bandage most everything. There's brightly coloured stickers that she says will keep the wounds clean, even the small ones, and Shiro can't really say anything when Pidge has a grin and a bright green one on their face. He even laughs when Lance and Hunk steal the box and begin sticking each other all over with them. It keeps them distracted while Allura is checking out Keith's shoulder.  
It had just been clipped, and there's no blood, the lasers instantly cauterizing the wound, but still, it hurt and was hot. Keith's eyes are narrowed at her, the boy looking for any reason to not trust her as she smears Silvaden and Antibiotic ointment over it, fixing a gauze pad over it before checking out her work proudly.  
"There! How does that feel?" He twists, looking over his shoulder and pouting at the plain white bandage, turning to look at Shiro with an expectant look.  
"What Keith? You have to use your words." There's a moment where Shiro thinks he may just forgo whatever he wants to not have to talk about it, cheeks puffed out making him look even younger before he points to Hunk, Lance, and Corran, all covered in colourful med stickers.  
"I want a red one."  
Allura quickly finds him a red one, wrapping it around a spot where his skin has split on his hands, and Keith looks pleased.  
................  
They're led to an area with a large table, all of the children freezing at the sight of it. Tables are generally Examination tables or Test tables. Pidge hides their face in Shiro's collar as the other three scooch behind him, watching Allura and Corran carefully. The large round table didnt look like anything bad, the large window near it showing a view of the setting sun, but still...   
"Please, children, have a seat, Corran will bring us out some food." Allura's voice is just as soft as it had been the entire time as she pulls out a chair, settling in it before gesturing for the kids to do the same. They do, somewhat cautiously, approach the table, each pulling out a chair (or in the case of Pidge, being sat in one) and waiting. It doesn't take long for Corran to emerge from another room, pushing a cart with plates all over it, setting one in front of everyone before setting down before his own.  
"Please, eat as much as you like." The kids looked at each other before Hunk popped up  
"We don't like, gotta... Do something first? There's no trick's right?" He's looking around curiously, like there's going to be a giant spider falling from the ceiling to eat his face for trying to eat the plate of really good smelling food in front of him.  
"N-no... This food is all for you. We even have any more if you want some." Allura's eyebrows are knitted together, anger and concern poorly hidden, but none of the children notice, too busy falling on their food like they're scared of getting it taken away. The only one who doesn't is Shiro, who's constantly wiping at Pidge's face or telling Hunk to take it easy or he'll get sick, or to tell Lance to not stick green beans up his nose.  
By the time that the others have finished their plates, Shiro's not even half way through. None of the others really seem to notice, looking around the place like they're waiting for the sky to fall, shifting uncomfortably until Corran offers to get them more food.  
.........  
It takes seconds and an obscene amount of blankets and pillows piled in the floor of her den before the children have calmed enough to sleep, all of them curling around each other before falling asleep, even Shiro, who had seemed to take the other's care upon his small shoulders. It makes Allura seethe with rage, her eyes glowing in the relative dark of the halls as she storms through. It takes a wave of her hand to change the scenenry outside from the end of dusk to deep midnight, a shimering trail following her hand as she stands in front of the window, her hair rising with an unseen breeze.  
"Princess..." Corran, her father's retainer, her's now, speaks softly, placing his hand on her shoulder as she shakes with barely restrained rage.  
"They're just - children! They've been seemingly born and bred for this and - it's just so wrong." Her fists shake at her sides, the silvery moonlight beginning to turn red with her rage.  
"I know, I know. But they're here now, we can teach them, protect them." She turns to him then, and smiles, something sharp and dangerous like a mother bear protecting her children there.  
"Yes, we shall."

 


	2. Happy | Sad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm border line happy, border line sad.  
> I'm border line good and I'm borderline bad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted Via mobile again, I really need a beta lol, Word pad doesn't have spell check

Allura freezes with her hand poised to knock on the door, pointed ears twitching at the sound of voices from within her den. She knows she shouldn't eavesdrop, especially while she's trying to earn the children's trust, but still... There's things they wouldn't tell to her.  
"You can't really be thinking of trusting them, Shiro."  
"Keith, they got us out of there." A sigh, like the older boy is exhausted already, though they probably only just woke up.  
"Yeah, but, but...They're big! They're not one of us!"  
"Yes, but -" Shiro cuts himself off at the sound of one of the younger kids shifting, lowering his voice a bit more when they stop. "They're not one of them. Allura helped me get out of there, helped me get all of you out of there."  
"Shiro, I don't trust them, they could be planning to do worse stuff." She figures now is a good enough time to intterupt, knocking softly on the door. There's silence, a bit of shuffling, before Shiro is opening up the door, peering up at her, Keith behind him and glaring.  
"Uhh, hi?"  
"Good morning Shiro, I was wondering if all of you were hungry, or if you would like a tour of the grounds." She bends at the waist, looking the boy in the eye and smiling, trying to radiate as soothing of a prescence as she can. She might have put a bit of magic into it, if the way that Shiro's shoulder's relaxed while Keith's simultantiously prickled said anything.  
"Uh, um..." And gone is the leader who'd gotten all of the children out of that hell hole of a vacility, traded for an extremely awkward child, mechanical hand running through his bi coloured hair while the real one gripped at the edge of his shirt. "Everyone else is still sleeping, and I wanna.... Let them sleep you know? They're tired."  
"Yeah, so Go. Away." Keith is still half hidden behind Shiro, but he's glaring over the other boy's shoulder as he says this. Allura can feel her heart drop to the soles of her feet when he says this, all defensive fire until Shiro turns on him with a frown.  
"Keith, she's trying to be nice." The boys stare each other down until Allura swears she sees Keith's pupils change, go to slits, and he stomps away, throwing himself on the pile of blankets and children, earning a distressed squawk from someone. Shiro watches this with an expression far too old for his face before turning back to Allura.  
"I'm sorry he's a bit cranky, he's always kind of like this... But! He's really nice and good with the rest of us." She doesn't miss the way he backtracks as soon as he mentions something negative, like she'll punish Keith for being distrustful. It breaks her heart to see children like this, but she must be strong... And so must they.  
"It's okay Shiro, I understand. I used to be quite similar as a child. If you would like, I could bring food to you all in here, none of you seemed comfortable in the dining room." He gives her a nod, starting to turn back to where the others are waking and she takes the queue to leave, patting his head gently before straightening up. Her back aches for being bent for so long, but she waits to rub at the pain with a grimace until the door is shut.  
The simmering anger from last night is kicking back up, the fact that these children are so distrustful of her because they've been given reason to be by others, sets her blood boiling. She wants s desperately to go back in time to protect these children, but she can't, so she'll settle for taking a moment to breathe, to let her anger dissapate, so she can protect them now.  
......................  
Allura and Coran bring in the dining cart, piled high with breakfast foods, and watch as the kids again fall on it, except for Shiro. She doesn't miss the almost whistful glances he gives the food, but he's constantly trying to make sure the other kids are behaving, not eating too fast or wiping maple syrup off of their faces.  
"Shiro?" He freezes for a second before looking back at her, tension still in his shoulders, and she gives him the kindest smile she can muster.  
"Please, eat. The food will get cold." He looks at her for a second before grabbing a piece of bacon from his nearly full plate and shoving it in his mouth, chewing on one end while he continues to try and get syrup out of Lance's eyebrow before it congeals. Everyone focuses on eating for a bit before Lance pipes up, mouth still half full of pancake.  
"So, are you like us? Or are you like the Tester people?"  
"Idiot, she's big, of course she's like the Tes-"   
"Neither." She cuts Keith off before he can lay into Lance, placing her silverware down next to her plate. Coran does the same next to her as all of the children look at her, eyes wide.  
"Then... Are you -"  
"No Keith, she's not." Keith looks angry at getting cut off for the second time in as many minutes, cheeks puffing out, but the look on Shiro's face makes him stop. There's a look like 'please don't tell' there, worry and fear and a touch of anger, and Allura makes a mental note to ask him about it privately, later, once they all trust her more.  
"We're Alteans, Fae from a far away place."  
"Whatsa Fae?"  
"We are great and mighty powerful beings!" Coran boasts loudly, flexing comically and making a few of the children giggle, Allura included.  
"We're not that much different from you. We're actually here to show you how to do things like this." She waves a hand, and the light in the room darkens, glimmering lights filling the room instead, and all of the children gasp at the display.  
"There's stars in the room."  
"I wonder if a star tastes good..."  
"Can you eat a star?"  
They all ooh and ahh at the display, batting the star map and squealing when it moves with the movement. Allura and Coran both share a victorious grin, even Keith is looking at the display with awe, gently running his fingers through Antares, and smiling when he can roll it across his fingers like a marble.   
"You said we could do things like this?" Pidge asks, moving to sit next to the princess, staring at her with startling focus.  
"Yes, you can do things, and many other things like this!" Allura's smile and broad until Pidge speaks again.  
"Things like killing?" Everything stops at the word 'killing,' even the stars begin to dim as the other children look at their youngest.  
"You.... you could, yes." She sighs, and the stars in the room flicker like a flame. "But I don't want to teach you how to kill. How to protect yourselves yes, but not to kill." The stars brighten again, but the joyous mood is gone, Pidge moving back to sit between Hunk and Lance, Keith and Shiro scooting until they're closer as well, throwing wary glaces to Allura and Coran. The trust that had been gained during the breakfast was broken, and the adults both gather the dishes, placing them back on the serving cart. As Coran wheels it out, Allura waves her hand again, dismissing the starry illusion and bringing back the light.  
"I'm sorry to have upset you all. If you would like to speak to me, you may find me in the dining hall." She leaves then, shutting the door quietly behind her, taking long strides down the hall. She wants to yell, to scream, to curse the gods forsaken Galra that had created these children and made them so distrustful.  
_'Things like killing?'_   
Pidge's voice was small, but she knows, knows that they're far smarter than a child that small should be, and it worries her. Yes, yes, she doesn like it, but she's going to teach them how to kill, how to fight, how to defend everyone. The universe needs her protectors, and the greater good doesn't care for ages or lost innocence of the few for the many. She knows this, but she still has to bite down on a knuckle to muffle her sobs as she bypasses the dining room entirely, instead walking through a false wall, heading down, down, down. The sobs come harder as she reaches the end, the blue lit room full of memories and false hopes.  
_'Don't worry Princess, we'll be back soon.'_  
 _'Yeah! We'll be right back, in and out, noooo problem.'_  
 _'Please, don't worry.'_  
She finally lets go of her knuckle, ignoring the way that her teeth have broke skin as she looks around the room, around the memorial, heaving a great, shuddering breath. The five swords around her, still gleaming as if freshly forged and each sheathed in a great slab of stone is all the reminder she needs that the universe does not care for the few, and it certainly does not care for her few. It takes her a bit of time, standing in that stale room, letting the whispers of past mistakes run through her before the tears stop, before she's ready to face the children again.  
She's no better than the Galra, but the universe will have her Paladins again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's posting while getting ready for a weekend with their S/O? Its me, you guessed it.  
> I really wasn't expecting the positive feed back I got for the last chapter and it motivated me to spit this out.  
> I - tentatively - have a plot line, there's a bit of foreshadowing already. Also, if you caught the little references in this chapter and the last, go ahead and tell me, I love it when people catch it lol
> 
> Find me at Twitter! @psidontknow


	3. Small Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snoop sneep snop  
> Mind your manners children, or you might become meddlers with a dog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More mobile posting

It's been a few weeks.  
A few weeks of trying to gain the children's confidence, of magically reconstructing the den to a bedroom, complete with five beds that, more often than not, get pushed together so they can all sleep in a pile still. They take their meals in the dining room now, a little more trustful of that, but Allura doesn't miss the way that they all flinch when she looks the least bit upset, Corran tells her that Keith always puts himself between the others when there's a knife in the retainer's hand. Still, it's been a while and Allura has yet to teach them anything, and they're beginning to get restless.  
"Lance, this is like, a really bad idea." Hunk's still got his hand in Lance's though as the other boy pulls him through the dark halls. His bare toes curl into the carpet everytime they pause, a reminder that this isnt the other place with it's cold tile floor, but fear of being caught still thrums in his chest.  
"Relax, we're just doing some reconnen- recoh- We're just looking around." Lance give him a smile over his shoulder, squeezing his hand lightly before they continued their nighttime spy mission. (They may have been gifted a TV to pass the time, that may have been where the idea came from.) Lance holds a finger up to his lips when they near the dining room, light spilling into the hall way and the faint chatter of voices alerting them to something to be seen other than moonlit walls.  
"-ow'd they like the TV?" Keith and Hunk both peaked around the corner at the sound of the new voice, taking in the stranger sitting on the table with Allura, sipping tea.  
"They seem to like it, it was a good idea, though Keith tried to stab it at first." They both laugh together, the new person's copper hair bouncing with them, a mechanical left hand readjusting the band in their hair as they speak again.  
"Seriously though Alu, how are they doing?" Allura hums as she takes a sip of tea, biding for more time to think. The sigh as she places the cup on the saucer and then that onto the table seems long suffering.  
"They're adjusting. Soon, I'm going to begin teaching them how to protect themselves but .... They're children, and it's not fair to them."  
"So were we when this started though."  
"We weren't ever this young, they're still losing their baby teeth, they're all so small and so scared of the world and I'm going to give them even more reason to be scared." Lance and Hunk trade scared looks as Allura hunches over, curling into herself, and her mystery guest puts their arm around her shoulders.  
"I know, but you're teaching them to defend themselves, so that they can face what scares them head on.... They'd be proud of you Allura, I know I am. If you want I can -"   
"ACHOO!"  
Both of the adults glanced at each other before looking at the doorway, where Lance is holding his betraying nose, Hunk trying to hide behind him. They all just stare at each other in a stunned silence before the children turn and hightail it back down the hallway.  
.........................  
"GUYS!" Both Lance and Hunk are gasping for breath by the time they make it back to their shared room, slamming the door open and shutting it just as fast. The others jump awake at the sound, Keith looking around for danger while Shiro places his body between the other two and the door.  
"Hunk? Lance? What's going on?"  
"We- we were looking around -"  
"Lance made me!"  
"-and Allura saw us! "  
"She had someone else there too!"  
"She's gonna send us back!!"  
"Or punish us!"  
"Or both!"  
By the time the two have tag teamed their explanation, they're in the bed too, sobbing apologies into Shiro's sleep shirt, Pidge moving over to rub Hunk's back soothingly while Keith awkwardly pats Lance's head. Shiro's trying to breath deeply, prying the others off of him so he can slide out of bed. He's trembling, because they have a point, she could send them back, or punish them, or even both, and he can't let that happen.  
"Shiro?" Pidge's voice cuts through the shooshing and wailing, their large eyes staring at him as he goes for the door.  
"Don't worry, I'm just going to go talk to Allura." He tries to give them an easy smile, but they all know what he means by that, that he's going to try taking punishment so the others don't have to. There's a sharp intake of breath from all of them, Lance and Hunk already opening their mouths to protest this, but Keith is far louder, flipping off the bed and running over to Shiro.  
"No you're not! I'll go!" He's clutching Shiro's organic hand hard enough that it hurts, heather grey eyes brimming with tears.  
"Keith - "  
"You do this everytime! You go protect us and get yourself hurt!"  
"I have to! Otherwise - " The words die in Shiro's throat as Allura opens the door, her eyes huge and sad as she sees them all, Pidge hiding between a crying Hunk and a nearly crying Lance on the bed, Keith painfully gripping Shiro's hand, and Shiro himself practically on the verge of angry tears. As soon as she steps in the room, they all jump up, Shiro snatching his hand from Keith and shoving the other boy behind him, the others crowding around Keith, keeping him from flying in front of Shiro.  
"I'm sorry for not keeping them in the room, it will not happen again." Shiro's voice is smooth, almost robotic and it's uncanny valley teritory, seeing this boy speak like a military officer.  
"Shiro...." Allura crouches down to where she's eye level with him, reaching her hand out to pet his hair, pulling it back when he flinches. "I'm not going to hurt you."  
"Don't hurt them." There his facade breaks some, bottom lip trembling a bit as he moves directly in front of Allura, hiding the others from her view.  
"I'm not going to hurt any of them. I just wanted to talk."  
"You're - you're not mad at us?" That's Lance's voice, though he doesn't move from the defensive pile of the other children.  
"Truthfully? I'm a little upset that you and Hunk eavesdropped on my friend and I. It would be preferable if you had told us you were there." She rises to her feet, a smile gracing her lips when she notices the way that the younger three seem a bit more relaxed now, though both Shiro and Keith are still tense, far too tense for children. "That being said, you all do need to get some sleep, she was helping me to decide how to begin teaching you all magic tomorrow." That had grabbed everyone's attention, five sets of wide eyes staring up at her and Allura has to give herself a mental pat on the back.  
"C'mon, off to bed, all of you, or I'll wake up Corran to have him tickle you all." Okay, so, maybe she should take back that pat. She had been expecting them to run to bed, laughing and screaming, like she had when her father had done the same taunt to her as a child. Instead, they're all giving her suspicious looks, though Lance is shifting restlessly, and Pidge is already trying to tug Hunk to the bed. Another sigh, and she reaches out her hand, towards Shiro.   
"Shiro? Would you kindly come with me please?"  
"No! You're not gonna take him!" Keith practically springs forward, between her and Shiro in a blink.  
"I'm not going to take him far, just outside. You may come with if you like Keith, if it will make you feel better." She offers her other hand, and the two boys look between each other before joining hands, Shiro taking Allura's and Keith taking his, before they look at the others.  
"Be right back, go ahead and lay down." They follow her out of the room like they're being drug to their graves, but she wasn't kidding when she said they weren't going far, just a little away from the door before she kneels again, taking a hand from both boys.  
"I need you two to listen. I would never try to intentionally hurt you. If I hurt you, if I make you scared, it's imperitive that you tell me so that I can correct it." She looks up at them, two pairs of nearly colourless eyes in colourless faces, twin gazes of shock meeting her teary eyes.   
"We -"  
"Yeah, we'll tell you, and I'll tell the others to too." Shiro nods, pulling Keith's hand closer, both of them dashing back to the room as soon as Allura releases their hands. She's left there, crouching in a dark empty hall, until her guest comes to find her.  
"So, starting tomorrow, hunh?" She asks, leaning close enough to Allura's face that the princess can see the faint sun freckles across the other's pale face.  
"Yes, but ... I'm not sure if they're ready to trust me enough to learn."  
"Don't worry." The other gives her a smile, kneeling on the floor - like a knight, one knee up, the other bracing against the floor - and taking Allura's dark hand into her own scarred one, gently placing a kiss on the back.  
"You're our princess, they'll come to trust you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow!!! Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I'm so happy you guys like my AU.  
> I may eventually draw for this AU lol  
> Come talk to me about Voltron @psidontknow on twitter


	4. Echo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro, please keep your question within the designated lines at all times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mobile posting, short chapter

Allura begins teaching them magic, which mostly means trying to get all of them to meditate, to calm themselves and not be so darned jumpy all of the time. Coran helps too, offering helpful advice and commentary. Allura's guest from that night never speaks with them, though they do see her from time to time, walking around the gardens they're learning in. Shiro's the first one to come up to her during those times, wanting to gauge how big of a threat she is before the others get curious enough to seak her out. 

It's what Allura calls 'free time' which generally involves the five of them crowding around the tv, talking, or drawing. Shiro instead steps out into the garden after saying he's going to go talk to Allura, walking around until he hears unfamiliar music. It's something loud, the words blending into the music, and the boy almost doesn't realize that he's bouncing to the beat as he walks. The source happens to be a radio, set on a table practically hidden behind a wall of hedges. The woman that Hunk and Lance had described was there too, dancing to the music, and Shiro takes a minute to gape at the fluid way she moves, her handling of her prosthetic far more fluid that his own, even though hers goes nearly all the way up to her shoulder. 

Brown eyes meet gray, and he's sure she's gonna stop, going to chastise him when she sees him, but she just grins wider, turning to where he can see the strange shapes she's making with her hands in time with the music. He's bouncing in time with the music again when the tempo slows a bit, and she sings along. 

" _Hey Brother, what you thinkin'? That good ol sound is ringing -_ " She cuts herself off, gasping for breath, and Shiro thinks that she may have been talking to him. The song eventully ends, and she flicks the radio off, sitting down at one of the chairs at the table. 

"Go ahead and take a seat if you want." She gestures at the wicker chair across the table before pulling her hair out of it's ponytail, combing her fingers through the copper waves before she pulls it back up again. Shiro's seated by the time she's satisfied with her ponytail, his knees together and hands resting flat on the top of them. 

"Are you a threat to my friends?" His voice carries all of the confidence and command of a man thrice his age, and the woman looks almost nostalgic at this. 

"No, never. I would never harm you or them ever." Her words are sincere, the most sincere that Shiro's ever heard from an adult, and he's almost startled. Still, it's a weight off his mind that she won't hurt them, but .... 

"Who are you then? You always run away before the rest of us can talk to you." Her fingers tap against the table, the other hand reaching to adjust her shirt, like she just couldn't quit moving. 

"I'm a friend of Allura's. She doesn't really want me talking to you guys yet, something about scaring you kids." Her mechanical hand rotates at the wrist as she gestures, and Shiro is fascinated with the movement, trying to replicate the move with his own hand. The plating on his hand comes up too far for him to bend his hand like that, but she notices him trying and stretches her own prosthetic towards him. 

"Pretty cool right? A friend of mine helped me make it. It's got compartments for storing things and look at this." She moves her fingers just so and the joints light up , shifting between all of the colours of the rainbow. "Not the most functional thing, but it's really freaking cool at parties." He spends a few minutes, turning her arm this way and that while she boasts on about her creation, making him laugh as she switches the lights from muted shifting to bright strobes. They're only interrupted by Allura calling for him, her voice frantic. 

"We're over here, Allura! I've got the little Shiro." The woman yells across the garden, Allura practically apperating to their space after she does. 

"Shiro! Thank goodness, I was so worried, the others said that you had gone to talk to me, but you never came -" Allura's hands are on his shoulder's, tears in the corners of her eyes, and he's _floored_ that she was actually scared for him in the same way he's scared for the other kids sometimes. 

"I -- I'm sorry, I was just trying to see if she would hurt us...." There's faint color rising to his cheeks, embarresment turning the tips of his ears red as the woman releases his shoulders. 

"Next time, please believe me when I say she's no threat - She's been my friend for longer than you have been alive. Go ahead and return to the others. You may tell them what you've found out if you want." She moves aside, giving him a little pat on the back as he runs off before shooting a glare at her friend. 

"I told you to not approach them." 

"Hey, he came to me." The brunette raises her hands in a surrendering gesture, though the shit eating grin on her face murders the sincerity of the gesture. Allura keeps glaring for another moment before sighing, practically throwing herself in Shiro's vacated chair with a sigh. 

"Hey, Princess, it'll be okay." 

"No, I just - " Allura furrows her brows, looking across at her oldest human friend. "Doesn't it hurt you to see them like this?" 

"Not rea-" 

" _Honestly._ " The princess's tone has hershutting her mouth with a small click of protest from her teeth. 

"...Yeah, it hurts, I mean.... It's amazing, but I still miss them so much, and they're here, but these they aren't them." She laughs a bit, a bitter, mirthless noise, reaching across the table for Allura's hand and tangling their fingers together when the other's hand is given. 

"Soon, it'll be okay soon." 

"Yeah, I hope so." 

\----------------------------------------------------------------- 

_**A memory, a sigh, he feel's someone's hand on his head, and he thinks to himself 'Soon, soon we'll meet again'**_

\---------------------------------------------------------------- 

Shiro practically is beaming when he runs back into the room, telling the others of the woman. She's friendly, she's sincere, her hand lights up! All of these statements are met with questions and the kids are so happy, so carefree, that none of them notice Coran with a whistful smile on his face, standing in the doorway. He has to break it up though, lunch is getting cold. 

"Alright kiddos! Lunch is on the table, today we're having Coran's authentic chicken flambe!" The kids all soldier out of the room with a groan, already a bit more vocal about Coran's terrible cooking skills. It's familiar now, though Pidge tugging on his pant leg is new. 

"What is it, number 5?" He'd already explained the height-rank system to them last week, much to the chagrin of Keith and Pidge, the shortest members. They only puf fout their cheeks for a second before asking their question. 

"Do you think we could make Shiro's arm glow? All different colours. It'd be cool!" Coran gives a thoughtful hum, stroking at his mustache over dramatically (and smiling internally at Pidge's little giggle.) before answering. 

"I'm not sure why not!" 

\-------------------------------------------------------- 

Allura doesn't question why Shiro's arm is covered in glow in the dark stickers later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about the short chapter, but I wanted at least a chapter padding between introducing Ms. Plot Device and revealing her identity, if you haven't guessed already Lol.  
> Next chapter: weapons training, revelations, and Lance tries to shove green beans up his nose to make everyone laugh


	5. Everything Stays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's go in the garden  
> You'll find something waiting  
> Everything stays  
> Right where you left it  
> Everything stays  
> But it still changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mobile posting, short chapter, im sorry :')

At the beginning of the fourth month of the kids living with Allura and Coran, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and they're all enjoying it in the sun, getting ready for more magic lessons  
"Today, we'll be teaching you how to harness the very elements around you, how to -"   
"Change of plans, Princess." Allura turns from the kids, all sitting with her in a semicircle outside, to where her friend is jogging up, a box in her arms. She drops it on the ground without much ceremony, eliciting a squawk of fear from several of the children. Allura frowns at the box first, then at the brunette, taking note of the way her hands shake.  
"What - "  
"Everyone pick a weapon, we're doing weapons training."  
"Wait - "  
"Everyone knows their colours, just grab what ever and I'll -"  
"KATHERINE HOLT, WHAT IS GOING ON?" Everyone freezes at Allura's voice, the children's eyes wide, Keith already holding up a knife protectively as the two women stare each other down.  
"Zarkon is moving Allura, we don't have time to coddle them -"  
"They're children Katie -"  
"YEAH WELL, THEY'RE ALL WE'VE GOT! EVERYONE ELSE IS DEAD OR ME!" The entire garden is silent and still for a moment, Katie breathing heavily and clouds covering the sun, as if summoned by Allura's stricken expression. The children are all staring, wide eyed, until Pidge stands, walking over to Katie, staring up with large eyes.  
"You're Matt's Katie?" Her shoulders drop, all of the defensive anger gone from her pose, leaving her looking tired.  
"Yeah." There's a sharp intake of breath from the other children, Pidge's eyebrows coming together in a frown before they speak up again.   
"You're the original me then? The one I'm copied from?"  
"He was lying Pidge! Like he lied about not leaving and about taking us away!" Keith finally snarls, red knife still clutched in his small hand as he moves, shoving himself between Pidge and Katie.  
"I don't like you! I don't like Matt and I really don't like you! He left! He said he was going to take us away from there but he left.  
"They killed him! They killed my brother, they killed my father, they killed you too!"   
"KATIE!" Allura's voice cuts through everything, clouds gathering in the sky as she stands, placing a warning hand on Katie's arm.   
"That is enough, they're only children." They both look at each other for a minute, brown to blue, before tears start streaming down Katie's face and she rips herself away from the Fae, running into the deeper parts of the garden. Allura watches her go for a moment, face striken before it settles into a determined look. "Children, go back inside."  
"But - "  
"NOW!" Her command is punctuated by a crash of thunder, the younger three children dashing back inside, Shiro dragging Keith behind him as Allura stares off in the direction Katie had run.   
(No one notices that Keith stole the red knife, the metal pressed between the hem of his pants and the flesh of his back somehow soothing.)  
\-----------------------------------  
The storm, guided by the whirlwind of emotions Allura is feeling, is in full swing by time she locates Katie, the woman tucked deep into a hedge maze, hiden away in a gazebo.  
"Katie." She calls out, walking in from the rain, water trailing behind her. The brunette simply hides her head deeper in her knees, and the princess sighs, sitting down next to her.  
"Pidge." She watches as honey coloured eyes, red rimmed from tears that are still falling, peak out from the safety of her knees, and Allura can't help but offer a small smile.  
"There you are, I was thinking you had run where I could not follow." She croons, laying her wet head on Katie's shivering shoulder. They sit there in silence for a while before Katie speaks up, voice cracking.  
"We all used to come here, remember?"  
"I remember Pidge, it was some of the greatest times." They can both almost see it, see Lance sitting on the railing and leaning backwards as far as he can without falling, Shiro laying on his stomach, dozing and content in the center. Keith would be either taunting Lance or dozing with Shiro while Hunk and Pidge discussed mechanics and had tea with Allura.  
"I miss them, I try to remember them alive, but all I can see is blood, and then - those kids." Pidge turns to her, eyes wide and lower lip trembling.   
"Why the fuck did they do this? I know - I know they were trying to make their own paladins, to take the swords for Zarkon, but why did they have to clone us? It doesn't make sense! Not unless - "  
"Unless it was to mess with our heads." Allura nods, rubbing a hand down Pidge's back, holding back a smile at the very unladylike snort the other lets out.  
"Zarkon and Haggar, master mind fuckers."  
"Language Pidge." They sit there for a while longer, leaning on each other and watching the storm roll over the garden. There's a world ending on the other side of the wall, there's the thrum of the Swords of Voltron behind them, there's memories waiting to crush them under the weight.  
But for now, they watch the rain and breathe deeply. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I RUSHED THE REVEIL, BUT SHES HERE  
> TRANS GIRL ADULT PIDGE IS HERE  
> THIS PLOT JUST GOT A LOT STRANGER


	6. Lampshades of Fire

This is a long time coming, but I am going to mark this story as discontinued   
How ever! I do want to rewrite it, as, looking back over my old writing, I didn't convey things how I wanted to. Opinions on a rewrite and what I could do to make it better would be very much appreciated!   
Thank you for reading this fiasco, I hope you liked what you read.

**Author's Note:**

> I was just doing quick little AU drabbles and this one got away from me??? I'm kinda thinking of doing more with this, at least another chapter explaining wtf Allura is in this.  
> Comments are always much appreciated


End file.
